People convicted of a felony and on probation, immigrants who are not U.S. citizens and others who are not eligible to vote can participate in the Minnesota DFL's precinct caucuses on Tuesday.
DFL caucuses, conventions open to ineligible voters
Republican leaders say Democrats are violating state law.
January 29, 2022 at 8:00PM
"No Minnesotan should be denied the right to help shape the future of our party because of where they were born or because of mistakes they made in the past and have paid their debt to society for," DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin said.
Democrats announced Wednesday that ineligible voters can run to become convention delegates, vote on endorsements, seek party leadership and introduce resolutions.
The DFL had claimed in a lawsuit that limiting participation in precinct caucuses to eligible voters violated First Amendment rights. The Minnesota Court of Appeals recently affirmed a district court's dismissal of the case, stating that criminal penalties for unlawful voting "do not apply to voting in precinct caucuses" and there's not a credible threat that someone would be prosecuted.
Martin said the court decision grants them "legal safe harbor" to open up the caucuses.
But Minnesota GOP leadership said the DFL is violating state law.
"Citizenship is the foundation of the civic compact. By rejecting citizenship, the DFL has rejected the foundation of our democratic republic," Republican Party Chairman David Hann said.
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